Desk appointment calendar

ABSTRACT

A CALENDAR HAVING A PERMANENT BASE WITH A MOTOR AND MANUAL MECHANISM MOUNTED THEREIN AND A DISPOSABLE UNIT REMOVABLY POSITIONED IN THE BASE AND CARRYING A PAIR OF REELS AND A PART OF THE DRIVING MECHANISM THEREFOR WITH A WEB OF PAPER WHICH MAY BE WRITTEN UPON EXTENDING FROM ONE REEL TO THE OTHER, BOTH OF WHICH REELS ARE ROTATED IN ONE DIRECTION OR THE OTHER BY EITHER THE MANUAL OR MOTOR MEANS IN THE BASE TO WIND THE WEB IN ONE DIRECTION OR THE OTHER.

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. DESK APPOINTMENT CALENDAR Filed March 12, 1970 INVENTOR. JOSEPH PHUSSAR United States Patent O 3,609,896 DESK APPOINTMENT CALENDAR JosephP. Hussar, Weymouth, Mass, assignor to Robert W. Pratt, Greene, R.I.Filed Mar. 12, 1970, Ser. No. 18,840 Int. Cl. G09d 3/10 U.S. Cl. 40-1175 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A calendar having a permanent basewith a motor and manual mechanism mounted therein and a disposable unitremovably positioned in the base and carrying a pair of reels and a partof the driving mechanism therefor with a web of paper which may bewritten upon extending from one reel to the other, both of which reelsare rotated in one direction or the other by either the manual or motormeans in the base to wind the web in one direction or the other.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This application is an improvement upon Pat.3,432,952 issued Mar. 18, 1969, which discloses a structure having apaper web to be written upon. The paper web in that patent is coiledupon one reel and withdrawn therefrom and coiled upon another reel. Alsothe drive is manual and operates either one reel or the other reel anddrags the web from the companion reel. A shortcoming of prior deskcalendar was found in that the tension applied to the web was such thatit did not readily track upon the reel upon which it was desired to bewound and also excessive effort was required to operate it manually.This patent was manually operable only.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present desk calendar has a pulley on eachof the reels upon which the web is coiled with an elastic belt driveconnecting one pulley t the other so that both reels are rotated at thesame time. The elastic belt is driven by a pulley in the base in contactwith this belt to tension it and drive it either manually or by anelectric motor operable in either direction to wind the web upon onereel or the other as desired.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of thecalendar with the cover open for use;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the box-like base;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the driving mechanism which isinsertable in the base of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the removable insertable unit which maybe removed after one years use and replaced by a similar unit;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the frame;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view on substantially line 6-6 of FIG. 1 throughthe entire assembly;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the manual manipulating knob which isaxially slideable and rotatably mounted in the base; and

FIG. 8 is an elevation of the drive and driven shafts and parts mountedthereon.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With reference to FIG. 2 of thedrawings, 10 designates generally the box-like base which may be formedas for example of a high grade hard wood having a bottom wall 11 andside walls 12 and 13 which are tapered as shown with a part of top wall14 leaving an opening over the majority of the generally inclined uppersurface and which opening may be designated generally 15. The edges ofthe opening 15 are recessed as at 16, 17, 18 and 19 in the top wall 14.The purpose of this recess is to receive a generally rectangular frame21 shown in perspective in FIG. 5 as will be more fully referred tohereinafter.

Permanently mounted within this box-lil e base there is the base mainportion of the driving mechanism as shown in FIG. 3. This base drivingmechanism is conveniently assembled on a shell like plate of metal 25which is of a size and shape to fit upon the bottom wall 11 of theboxlike base of FIG. 2. At the rear this sheet metal structure is curvedupwardly as at 26 as seen in FIG. 3 and is spaced from the back wall andthe bottom wall 11 of the box-like base providing a channel for aflexible closure member 95 seen in its open position in FIG. 6.

The plate has side walls 27 and 28 folded upwardly from its oppositeedges. A drive shaft 29 having a reduced end portion 31 which finds abearing in the wall 28 in which it is rotatably mounted and slidableaxially. At the other end of shaft 29 a short shaft 32 extends throughbearing opening 33 in walls 27 and wall 13 and has a handle 34 on itsouter end while its inner end is threaded as at 35 into the end of shaft29 securely so that by manipulation of the handle in either directionthe shaft may be turned manually in either direction by the handle 34.Also by means of this handle the shaft 29 may be moved axially slidingit on the reduced end portion 31 mounted in the wall 28.

A driven shaft is rotatably mounted in the side wall 28 and in thebracket 30 by means of suitable bearings. This shaft carries a groovedpulley 41 adjacent to the wall 28 and two gears 42 and 43 fixed on thisshaft 40, one of these gears 42 being utilized for manually operatingthe shaft 40 while the other gear 43 is designed for motor operation ofthe driven shaft 40.

The manual operation of the shaft 40 is by means of a gear 45 which hasa hub 46 (see FIG. 8) slotted as at 47 to receive a pin 48 extendingdiametrically through and projecting beyond the drive shaft 29. A spring49 acting between hub 46 and a stop 50 permits some sliding movement ofthe gear 45 on the shaft 29, so that if the shaft is moved axially tothe right as seen in the figures, the spring will be placed under sometension urging the gear 45 to the right until it meshes with the gear 42on the driven shaft 40 and engages a stop 51 on shaft 29.

Gear 43 on the driven shaft may be motor operated by a gear 52 rotatablymounted on shaft 29 and fixed to a pulley 53 having a groove 54 thereinto be driven by a helical spring belt 55 engaging this pulley 53 andalso a pulley on an electric motor 56. The gear 52 and pulley 53 arefreely mounted to rotate about the shaft 29 and are axially slidablethereon. There is a stop 57 fixed on the shaft 29 while a spring 58operates between a stop 59 and the hub of the pulley tending to slide itto the left as seen in FIGS. 3 and 8. Thus, if the shaft is moved to theright, the stop 57 will move the gear 52 to the right, while if it ismoved to the left, the spring will tend to cause the pulley 53 to moveto the left along the shaft 29 under influence of the spring 58 untilthe gear 52 meshes with gear 43.

The position of the gears 42 and 43 on the driven shaft 40 are such withrelation to the gears 45 and 52 on the shaft 29 that when the shaft isin one axial position, such for instance as that shown in FIG. 3, gear52 will be in engagement with gear 43, while when the shaft is movedaxially to the right as seen in FIG. 8, gear 52 will be moved out ofengagement with gear 43 and gear 45 will be put into engagement withgear 42.

In order to retain the shaft 29 in either one of the two axial positionsjust referred to, there are notches or grooves 60 and 61 in the shaft 29with a spring pressed ball or detent 62 which will snap in to one or theother of these grooves and retain the shaft 29 in the axial position towhich it is shifted by handle 34.

The electric motor 56 is actuated by a battery 65 seen in FIG. 3 and acontrol switch 66 is interposed between the battery means and the motor.The control switch has a toggle 67 which may be moved either up or downdepending upon which direction it is desired that the motor 56 operate.This toggle is controlled by a star gear 68 having a plurality ofrecesses 69, any one of which will receive the toggle 67. The star gear68 is mounted on the shaft 29 as seen in FIG. '7, in a manner similar tothe mounting of the gear 45 on the shaft; that is, it has a slotted hub70 to receive a pin 71 which extends through the shaft, while there is aspring 72 acting against an abutment 73 secured on the shaft urging thegear to the left so that when one of its recesses 69 is so located thatthe star gear will slide to cause the toggle '67 to enter a recess 69.By this arrangement when the shaft 29 is moved to the left, this stargear will be received into engagement with the toggle 67 so thatrotation of the knob in one direction or the other will cause the toggleswitch to be moved in that same direction as the knob is rotated. Thearrangement is such that the knob will cause a movement of the web inthe direction that the knob is rotated.

The insert designated generally 75 is shown in perspective by itself inFIG. 4 and comprises a platen generally designated 76, for example ofsheet metal stock, having shoulders 100 with downwardly extendingflanges 77 on either side thereof which provide bearings 78 and 79 forthe mounting of reels 8% and 81 to which a web 812 may be secured at oneend to one reel and at the other end to the other reel so that whenthese reels are rotated the web will move from one reel to the other andbe assembled thereon. This web has the desired printed matter thereoncorresponding to the date and month leaving spaces for writing inappointments or the like as may be desired. At the ends of the flangesthere are outwardly extending wings 83 and 84 at one end and 85 and 86at the other end. Each reel 80 and 81 is equipped with a pulley 87 and88 about which a round elastic belt 89 extends so that as this belt ismoved in one direction or the other, both reels will be operated at thesame time. When the insert is in the operating position in the base theshoulders 100 at the edges of the platen help to guide the tracking ofthe Web 82.

This unit 75 may be assembled in the base with the driving mechanismshown in FIG. 3 by simply positioning this unit in the base, the samebeing guided by its flanges so that its wings 83 to 86 will rest uponthe recesses 17 and 18 about the general window opening in the base,there to be held in position by the frame 21 so that the belt 89 willengage the groove of the pulley 41 in such a way as to flex and tensionthe belt and provide a drive for the belt from the drive mechanism asheretofore described and shown more particularly in FIG. 6.

By reason of driving both reels, there will be a somewhat bulging actionof the web 82 as it is transferred from one reel to the other. Theresulting looseness of the web 82 is needed to allow the web to track asit moves from reel to reel. The bulging action of the web is notnoticeable to the user of the device since the web is held down by theframe .21 which rests on the shoulders 100 of the platen 76, theballooning being thereby transferred to the space surrounding the reelswhich is provided to receive such ballooning and may be seen in FIG. 6.The frame designated generally 21 fits into the recesses 16, 17, 18 and19 by reason of having hooks 90 at its lower edge to extend beneath theedge 16 of the opening 15 in the base while the upper edge of this framealong the portion 91 is retained in position by a spring clip 93positioned along the top recess edge 19 of the base.

A closure for the calendar is provided by cover 95 made of a flexiblematerial such as rubber-based paper or vinyl and having a stifienedleading edge of metal with a handle 96. The cover is positioned so as tobe guided within the space formed by the platen, the shoulders 100 atthe sides of the platen, the frame 21, and by the space 4 between thedriving mechanism and the similarly curved inside face of the back 20 ofthe base 10. When the handle is pushed or pulled to open or close thecover, the cover simply slides across the face of the web and in or outof the space provided behind and under the driving mechanism.

When it is desired to remove the unit and replace it by another unitwith another year thereon, it is merely necessary to lift out the frame21 by retracting the catch 93 then picking out the unit by use of thewings and 86 lifting it from the base, and then replacing it withanother like unit.

I claim:

1. A desk calendar comprising a box-like base, a disposable calendarunit removably positioned in said base and comprising a pair of reelsand a web connected to said reels and coilable on one reel or the otherdepending on the direction of rotation of said reels, driving means forsaid reels comprising an axially shiftable first drive shaft, manualmeans for rotating and axially shifting said first shaft, means forrotating said reels comprising a second drive shaft having gears fixedthereon, an electric motor, a first gear rotatably mounted on said firstdrive shaft but axially shiftable with said shaft, means to providerotational movement to said gear from said electric motor, a second gearfixed to rotate with and move axially with said first drive shaft, saidfirst and second gears being selectively engaged with one of the gearson the driven shaft depending on the axial position of the drive shaft,an electric switch and means on said drive shaft axially shiftabletherewith to engage said switch when the motor driven gear is engageablewith one of the gears on the driven shaft.

2. A desk calendar comprising a box-like base, rotatable means withinsaid base comprising a pulley, a removable disposable calendar unitcomprising a platen of sulficient stiffness to resist the pressure ofbeing written upon and provided with rotatably mounted reels supportedby said unit with their axes parallel, a web extending across the uppersurface of said platen with one end attached to one reel and the otherend attached to the other reel, each of said reels having a pulley atone end, a driving belt embracing said pulleys, said belt engaging thepulley in said base to tension the belt to provide a drive from the baseto said unit when the removable unit is in operating position in thebase.

3. A desk calendar as recited in claim 2 wherein said rotatable meanswithin the base is connected to means outside said base that provide theinner rotatable means with rotational movement.

4. A desk calendar as recited in claim 2 further comprising an electricmotor in said base, said electric motor having means to rotate saidrotatable means.

5. A desk calendar as recited in claim 4 further comprising toggleswitch means in circuit with said electric motor which produces forwardor reverse rotational movement to said rotatable means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 62l,0l7 3/1889 Bellet 40-93801,781 10/1905 Glisson 40-95 2,498,476 2/1950 Alfonso 40-86 3,190,0216/1965 Gustafson 40-86 3,432,952 3/1969 Pratt 401l7 ROBERT W. MICHELL,Primary Examiner W. I. CONTRERAS, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 40-31,28l8

